the exchange student
by Aeris3
Summary: Akane goes to California as an exchange student and Gwen comes to Nermia as an exchange student. What fun this will be, god, i suck at summeries.


the exchange student

Ranma ½ Fanfiction

By: Aeris

I don't own Ranma you get the idea.

Authors note: I started this a long, long time ago and I decided to finish it. It's going to be longer then expected so I decided to post the first part while I worked on the second. REVIEW! Thank you. ^^;;

***

Part one: New Places

***

"Please! I HAVE TO GO! It's only for a couple months! What could it hurt?" Akane Tendo pleaded at dinner one night in early November.

"Yeah, the farther away I'm from that tomboy the better." Ranma said smirking as he watched Akane and her dad.

"Ranma NO BAKA!" Akane flared as she raised the table. 

"Geese Akane, you take things so seriously. Things wouldn't be the same with out you here." Ranma said but he was thinking, _yeah, no more of her cooking, or her mallet. Where does she keep that thing?_ Akane lowered the table and smiled.

"Thank you Ranma," She said as the family returned to their dinner.  Ranma blinked, then shrugged and back to his dinner. 

"Can I dad? It's only California! And someone is going to take my place. I can speak English and I'm sure the student will speak Japanese! Please!" Akane begged. 

"It will only be a few months father…" Kasumi said. 

"Oh if you want to that badly Akane…" Soun said as Akane hugged him.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Akane said.

***

"No, no, no." A lady in California said.

"It's only Japan mom." The girl next to the lady said.

"You just want to go there so you can watch some of your Anime shows." Said the mom.

"No, well, that's part of it, but I want to see Japan." 

"Gwen… I don't know. You'll miss Thanksgiving and Christmas with us."

"Please! You know they have a better education system there! And I'll be here for the next year's holidays!" Gwen pleaded ("Anything's better the LAUSD," The mom sighed) 

"Pleeeeaaaaaaaaaaassssseeeeeee!" 

"Gail, she's been bugging us for months about this, it's a great experience for her." The dad said.

"George." Gail, the mom, said through her teeth.

"See! A great experience!" Gwen pleaded with her. 

"Fine, fine," She sighed, "If I hear about any practical jokes, anything you think is 'fun' and get people hurt, then I'm buying you a plane ticket home to your horrible deprived life." 

"Thank you mom!" The short brunette said and hugged her mom. "I'll need chop sticks and new clothes and…" 

"I'm guessing we're going to little Tokyo." Her younger sister said with sigh.

"This is a relief, no Gwen, no loud music, and no more practical jokes for four months." Said her older brother, Josh. 

"HEY! See if I bring you back anything!" Gwen said sticking out her tongue.  

***

"Now boarding flight 38b to LAX," Bellowed the loud speaker. "Flight 38b to Los Angeles no boarding. " 

"Well, I guess this is it." Akane said and grabbed her bags from her father's hands. Soun Tendo was howling and Nabiki looked board. 

"Here." Nabiki said shoving a small package in her hands. "Don't open it utile you get on board." She waved and Akane thanked her. Kasumie said her farewell and gave Akane a stack of books for the plane. 

"Have fun Akane! Don't forget to call, oh, but use the calling card. We wouldn't want to run up your exchange families phone bill up!" She hugged Akane.

"Boy." Gunma said angrily to Ranma. "Don't you have something to say?"

"Oh yeah, later Akane. Have fun and all that junk." Ranma said and watched Akane smile turn into a frown. 

"IS THAT ALL? I'LL BE GONE FOR FOUR MONTHS AND ALL YOU SAY IS 'Later Akane?'" Akane pulled out her mallet and Ranma winched and ran. "SORRY! AHHHH!" "RANMA! GET BACK HERE!" "HELP!" Eventually Akane did leave, and she left her mark on Ranma's head. 

"Come on Ranma, time to go home." Nabiki said and dragged Ranma out by his collar. 

"Oh my." Kasumi said as she stepped over the unconscious Ranma. 

Akane sighed and opened her package that Nabiki gave her on the plane. She watched as green bills fell out of it. Nabiki had given her money.

***

Akane stepped off the plane to be greeted by an unfamiliar world. She saw a sign that said "Akane Tendo" being waved by an older lady and her husband. Next to them there was a boy who appeared to be seventeen and a twelve-year-old girl. They all had brownish sort of hair except for the boy who seemed to have his dyed blond. Akane stepped up to them and said that she was Akane and was pleased to meet them.

"I'm Gail, this is my husband George, my daughter Tammy, and my son Josh." Gail said. They each said "Hi, nice to meet you" and shook hands. "Now, how do you say your name again, dear? Akine?"

Akane laughed. "It's Akane, Akane Tendo."

"I hope you enjoy California Akane." George told her. 

"I'm sure I will Mr. Morton." 

"Call me George."

"Come on kids lets go home!" Gail told them and they retrieved Akane's bags.  

"Tomorrow mom said we're going to Disneyland!" Tammy said happily as they left.

"Give one of your bags to Josh, Akane." Gail instructed her. Akane handed him one and Josh's eyes went wide and her asked her,

"What do you have in here? Weights?" Akane nodded.

***

"Are you sure that's spelt right, Nabiki?" Soun asked when Nabiki held up her sign that read 'Gwen Morton' on it. 

"I took four years of English dad," Nabiki said with a sigh. 

"Flight 278 from LAX now arriving, please meet your friends or family in the designated area." The loud speaker said, and then repeated it in four different languages.

"Is she here yet?" Asked a half asleep Ranma. "Couldn't her flight come in a better time, like not three in the MORNING?!"

"Chill Ranma." Nabiki told him.

"Oh this is so exciting!" Kasumi said. A girl that was a little shorter then Akane is came up to them.

"Hey! I'm Gwen!" Gwen said happily in her best Japanese she could manage. Nabiki inspected her; she had long brown hair that had blue streaks in it, she wore jeans and a baby blue sweatshirt that covered up her t-shirt. She had a skateboard under her arm and her backpack on her back. A normal sixteen-year-old American, Nabiki noted.

"Hello Gwen! It's so nice to meet you!" Kasumi replied back.

"Hi, I'm Nabiki." Nabiki told her in English. "That is Ranma, don't pour cold water on him, unless you like surprises that is. That's Ranma's father Mr. Saotome same goes for him. That's my dad, Soun Tendo, and my sister Kasumi." Ranma disappeared for a minute and came back with Gwen's bags.

"Okay, I got them, can we please go home now?" Ranma asked his father. 

"Boy, show respect for the nice girl." Genma said waving at Gwen.

"Look pop, Its to early to be nice to none nobody," He turned to Gwen and said hi and turned back to his father. "Happy?"

"Boy! You have no respect!" He said and lunged toward Ranma. 

"It's to early for this!" Ranma said and flipped backwards. Genma came at him again and Ranma kicked him out the door. "Can we please go now?"

"Oh my!" Said Kasumi.

"Is this normal for them?" Gwen asked Nabiki as she picked up her bags.

"Oh, you have no idea. This isn't even half of it. Wait until you meet Shampoo." 

"Is Shampoo a person?" Gwen inquired and Nabiki nodded. "Life here will be so cool! Oh, what exactly did you mean when you said not to splash them with cold water?"

***

Akane's eyes went wide when she saw the house that she would stay at. Sure, she lived in a good-sized house, but she also had to share it with six, and sometimes seven people (When Ryoga shows up, that is). The house was two stories high and it held about seven rooms. Outside there was a pool and a spa. Carpet was on the floors and walls were painted. Akane asked where she put her shoes and Gail laughed.

"It's okay, you can keep your shoes on here or put it in your room. Oh, speaking of which, you can stay in Gwen's room, it should be more comfortable then one of the guest rooms." She told Akane and led her upstairs to her room. The room had a window seat and a large closet. On the walls were posters that held bands called 'The Offspring' among others. Gwen had a good-sized stereo with a collection of cd's and a normal sized bed that was placed in the corner. "She cleared out her closet when she left so you can put your stuff there. Let's see, dinner's in an hour and you can unpack until then. Unless you want to rest from your flight, of course."

"I'm fine, thank you." Akane said smiling. 

"If you need any help Tammy's room is next store and Josh is down the hall with the Nirvana poster on his door. I believe that George is in the garage working on his car." Gail said and smiled at Akane and though, _She's such a polite girl, she could give Gwen lessons. _"Don't forget! Dinner in an hour!" She said before she walked out of the room. Akane opened her first bag and placed all her clothes in the closet hangers. Next she opened her seconded bag that held her weights and her other training items. 

"Wow," said a voice at the door. "What are those for?" It was Tammy. 

"Oh, these?" Akane asked and Tammy sat on her bed. "There for martial arts."

"That's right!" Tammy snapped her figures. "The paper said you trained in Martial arts! Like Josh did." 

Akane smoothed out her Gi and hung it over her chair. "Your brother trains?" Akane wanted to know.

"Well, he did. When her got his black belt he quit though. He did Karate." Tammy told her and began to help her with her things. 

"Thank you. I've trained all my life, I used to be the best in Nermia, that's were I'm from." 

"Used to?" Tammy blinked.

"Oh, that's before Ranma, my fiancée showed up." Akane said. She said the word fiancée through her teeth. 

"Fiancée?" Tammy asked. "Your only sixteen!" 

"Tell that to my dad. Our parents arranged it." Akane sighed and placed the last of her supplies in her closet. 

"I didn't think they do that anymore."

"Most people don't, it's an honor thing." Akane began, but she didn't get a chance to finish when Gail called them to dinner. 

"Mom made pizza tonight!" Tammy told her and drug Akane down stairs. "Do they have pizza in Japan?"

"Of course they do, it's just probably different then yours though." Akane told her as the two walked down to dinner. 

***

Gwen sat at the table next to Ranma and Kasumi for breakfast that morning. 

"This looks great Kasumi!" Gwen said when Kasumi sat the food down. 

"Yes, a feast Kasumi." Genma said drooling over the food. 

"Well, nothing but the best for guests!" Kasumi said smiling. They ate, Ranma and Genma faster then others and more. 

"You two better start off to school." Soun said. Gwen looked around for Nabiki but soon realized that she was gone. Gwen shrugged. 

"After school, come home so we can get your uniforms Gwen. It's okay if you wear your normal clothes today." Kasumi said with her usual cheerful smile. Gwen nodded and ran upstairs and grabbed her sweatshirt and her skateboard. She quickly pulled on her shoes and said,

"Come on Ranma, don't want to be late." Ranma grabbed his book bag and Gwen her backpack. It was a different way to get to school. With Ranma running beside Gwen on her skateboard and easily keeping up, I might add. 

"Maybe for once I'll be on time." Ranma told her. 

"Huh?" Gwen asked.

"Never mind that." Ranma said quickly and jumped over the fence. Gwen shrugged; Nabiki did say weird things go on here.

"ARIN!" Shampoo yelled as she ran. "Who you?" Shampoo asked when she saw Gwen. 

"Your Shampoo, am I right?" 

"How you know Shampoo?" Shampoo stopped looking puzzled. "You no look Japanese, you another one of Arin's fiancées?"

"No, I'm staying with the Tendo's and Saotome's for a few months, it's an exchange program thing." Gwen explained. 

"So you stay with Ranma?" Shampoo smiled, "And valiant girl gone?" 

"If you mean Akane, yes." 

"Shampoo go now!" She ran off laughing a Koditchi (A/N I can't spell her name…) like laugh. 

"She gone?" Ranma said sticking his head over the fence, and sighed in relief when Gwen nodded. "Come on, will be late."

"Can you explain something to me Saotome?" Gwen asked and Ranma nodded, "What did she mean by another fiancée?"

"You'll know soon enough—" Ranma stopped again when they came to the school. "Crap."

"WHERE IS AKANE, YOU EVIL SORCERER!" Kuno said as he ran out of the school. He, too, stopped in the sight of Gwen. "You have another beauty Saotome!" 

"Lookie here boy, I don't know who you are, and frankly I don't. Don't refer to me as part of Ranma's harem, cause I'm not. My name is Gwen, Gwen Morton. I'm from California, do you know where that is (Kuno nodded) good. I'm here as an exchange student. Akane has gone in my place, and now I see why she was so eager to leave. You threaten me again; I'll stick Ranma here on you. Come on Ranma, you get to show me around." Gwen said and picked up her skateboard and dragged a surprised Ranma in by his collar. They walked by a surprised Kuno. 

"Oh, now I have three beauty's to choose between!" A frustrated Kuno yelled. 

"You have no idea what you got us into." Ranma said sighing. 

"I wanted to have an adventure, and that's what I'm getting." Gwen said with a satisfied smile.

"You lose Akane, you gain a crazier chick." Ranma muttered under his breath and followed Gwen inside. 

***

"So Akane, what do you do for fun in Japan?" Gail asked as they ate that night.

Akane though about this and decided on a good answer. "In Nermia, you don't have time really for fun."

"So what do you do? I mean I heard you guys have a lot of school work in Japan, but you don't have any free time?" Josh asked, extremely confused. 

Akane laughed. "No, I didn't mean it that way. I mean I do have fun, more like excitement. There's always something going on. Like my mother used to say 'A martial artiest is never board.'" 

"That's right, the papers said you lived at a Dojo." Said George.

"Well kind of, it's in our back yard." 

"You must meet a lot of interesting people, Akane." Tammy chimed in.

"To say the least…" 

"Do you think that Gwen will have fun there?" Josh asked.

"I'm sure she will." Akane said with a smile. 

"Man." Josh mumbled. 

"This dinner is great Gail." Akane said, still uneasy to call an adult by her first name.

"Thank you Akane. Do you cook?" Gail asked causing Akane to choke. 

"Not very well, my sister Kasumi does most of the cooking." Akane admitted. "I was wondering, when do I start school here?" 

"Normally, you'd go to school tomorrow. But as Tammy pointed out, were going to Disneyland tomorrow." George told her. "My company is having a sort of family day there."

"Oh, what do you do?" Akane asked.

"I'm a promoter for different sports," He told her.

After no one said anything Akane broke the silence. "Do you have to wear uniforms at school here?"

"No, thank god." Tammy told her. 

"Speaking of school, do you have any homework Tammy?" Her mother asked sternly. A sweat drop appeared on Tammy's head.

"Well, you know with Akane coming and all…" 

"After dinner, you go strait to your room." Gail instructed. After the dishes were cleared Tammy stomped up to her room and Akane excused her self-saying that the jet lag was catching up with her. 

"Such a polite girl." Gail said.

"Yeah, polite." Josh muttered. 

"You know Japanese people are very strict with children. They have a lot more discipline then American children have," George told them. "Maybe we should send all our kids there."

***

"Get back here Saotome!" Ukyo yelled as she chased him with a spatula. "Now that Akane's gone you're all mine!"

            "Ukyo! Stop chasing me! Akane's `comin back ya know! Ahhh! Get that thing away from me!" It was to late, Ukyo sent Ranma flying. 

            "Sorry Ranma honey!" Ukyo called to him. 

            "Wow, that's cool." A voice behind Ukyo said, "I gotta get me one of those."

            "Huh, oh hi Gwen." Ukyo said as she saw her come into her line of view. She met her today at school.

            "Uh, Ukyo, do you know how I get back to the dojo? You kind of sent Ranma flying and all, and this place is big and all." Gwen said. 

            "Oh, Oupps! Sure, it's on my way to Uuchan's I'll walk with you." Ukyo said and laughed. 

            "Thanks I told Kasumi I'd come home so I can go with her to get my uniforms and junk."

            "Come to Uuchan's sometime, I'll make you a special." Ukyo stopped dead when she saw a pig in their tracks. "Ryoga." 

            "People here are so nice." Gwen too stopped when she saw the pig. "Oh! He's so cute!"

            "That is Ryoga." Ukyo said sighing. 

            "Oh, does he have one of those curse things to? Like Ranma? Or is that a normal pig?" Gwen asked.

            "You know?" Ukyo was shocked.

            "Yeah, Nabiki told me." 

"This lost little pig is actually a lost little boy." Ukyo rumbled through her book bag and held up a thermos of hot water. "You sold get on of these, never know when they'll come in handy." She unscrewed the top of the thermos and poured it over the pig. A naked boy appeared. Ukyo went back to her pack and handed him a pair of Ranma's clothes she obviously had for such and occasion. 

"Thank you Ukyo." He paused. "Who's that? Don't tell me Saotome's got another one."

"No Ryoga." Ukyo said sighing and laughed at the sight of Ryoga in Ranma's clothes. 

"I'll have to give you a pair of mine to put in that bag of yours." Ryoga said sighing. 

***

A week later after Akane got to California she received a brown package in the mail from home. Inside Kasumi had sent her letters from everyone, even Ukyo and Shampoo. From Kasumie and her family she got the usual, 'How are you' 'Do be polite' and variety of others. Ranma had been made, Akane though, to write his. It was short and went like this:

_Hey Akane._

_How's California? I heard you went to Disneyland hope you had fun. Is the food any good? Kuno's new target is Gwen, it's funny to watch her pound him in. She isn't much of a fighter, but when she's mad she has a temper like you. I shouldn't have wrote that huh. It's dinnertime bye._

_Ranma_

            Yep, that's Ranma for you. Ukyo's sent her good wishes and told her that it wouldn't be the same without her.  _She just wants Ranma. She can have him. _Akane folded up the letters and wrote quick responses to them all, promising Ranma a pounding next time she saw him and sending Gwen her sympathies about Kuno. 

***

A week went by and Gwen was starting to get used to the hectic life she now led. She was enjoying her time here- with the exception of that crazy Kuno boy that thinks of her like a trophy. She really liked the family she was staying with and growing quite found of Ryoga. Ranma was just happy that Ryoga had a distraction and wasn't harping on him all day long. He and Gwen became friends and Kasumie was happy to have the help in the kitchen, Gwen could cook very well. 

***

The next morning Akane decided that she was becoming lazy in her training. The whole week she's been here she didn't lift a single weight. So she woke up early and put her Gi on and went downstairs careful not to wake anyone, it was dawn after all. She went to the grass area of the back yard and began to stretch. Her mescals began to work with her and she began her pattern dance. It was a retinue that she had gotten used to at home and about half way through she began to change it. She mixed in one of the routines she often saw Ranma doing and realized that it was harder then her normal one. But she went on kick after kick and punch after punch soon she felt herself relax up to the silent beat. 

She smiled and tried some more complex moves and found that she had improved a lot since Ranma had came. Before Akane felt comfortable with her current status and then was forced to train harder. But, she realized, she would always be a step behind Ranma. Soon she forgot her troubles and resumed her pattern. Akane had lost track of time and didn't know how long she had been out there until Gail came and disrupted her. 

"Sorry to interrupt you Akane, but you should get ready for school now. You're very good by the way." Gail said as she opened the screen door.

"Oupps! I lost track of time! Thank you." Akane said and went inside.

"Breakfast in twenty!" She called after Akane. 

***

Okay, there's part one. The next part will be up when I'm not sick anymore. Review or I'll hunt you down and cause PAIN lots of PAIN. Or I'll stick my cat that thinks it's a dog on you.

You have been warned. 

Aeris      


End file.
